The Kilin

By Julie DiNisioQuailBellMagazine.com

The Western unicorn has become standard fare in Western culture, immortalized by Lisa Frank and Charlie the Unicorn, a creature that twelve-year old girls and Quail Bell(e)s futilely wish into existence. Yet the Eastern variety is quite different. The Chinese folkloric version is called the Kilin (pronounced chee-lin) and is usually depicted as having a deer's body, ox's tail, horse's hooves, and a short horn on its forehead. It's hair is a variety of symbolic Chinese colors, white, black, yellow, red, and blue.

Kilins exist in the annals of Chinese history as good omens. They can allegedly foretell the birth of important men, supposedly evidenced by an auspicious meeting between Confucius' mother and a kilin when she was pregnant with the great philosopher. Kilins are respectful of life, never hurting any living thing and eating only dead plants. Not surprisingly, they are believed to spring up from the earth and live for one thousand years. So if you're not having any luck finding a unicorn in your area, consider China.